KALAMAZOO, MI – About 75 students and community members
gathered Thursday at the Western Michigan University campus flagpoles to march and raise awareness
of a petition seeking civil rights charges in the death of Trayvon Martin.

The NAACP wants the U.S. Department of Justice to open a
civil rights case against George Zimmerman, who was acquitted by a Florida jury July 13 in
the shooting death of Martin.

"I know these issues occur all the time," Lawrence said, "but
we still need to do this for the Martin family. This is a serious loss and a
serious issue.

"I have a big heart. I want to make the community better in
the best ways that I can while I'm on this earth."

WMU sorority marches for Trayvon MartinWestern Michigan University's Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority marched for Trayvon Martin on Thursday, July 25, 2013 starting at WMU's flagpoles and ending at the columns at West Lovell and Oakland Drive.

Lawrence was among those who gathered by the WMU flagpoles to
hear Charles Warfield, president of the Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch of the
NAACP, speak.

"My hat is certainly off to you," Warfield said. "It is
important that you come together like this. ... When you organize like you did today, people pay attention.
Nobody should lose their life without somebody saying it is wrong."

From the flagpoles, the group started a march at 5:30 p.m. toward Waldo Stadium,
and eventually ended at the gateway columns on the corner of West Lovell Street
and Oakland Drive. They could be heard chanting "Skittles and an iced-tea, you don't even know me! I'm
just walking down the street, please don't shoot me!"

Alpha Kappa Alpha
member Chanelle Herman said the group needed to "take the time and make sure (the march) was
organized well," before the Thursday evening date was selected.

"We got together as soon as we could," Herman said. "We took
the time to do everything right. We need to keep (the outrage) going."

Herman stressed that signing the petition was more important
than any march. "We need to keep people upset about it until we make a
change," she said.